MIDEAST PEACE
Palestinian leadership
is obstacle to accord
Regarding Jay Bookman’s column, “Controversial author edited out of book event” (Opinion, Nov 14.), the flap over Peter Beinart should not be an excuse to distort the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Far from “swallowing” the West Bank, Israel has repeatedly offered almost all of it to the Palestinian leadership. The latter have consistently rejected any process that accepts a permanent Israel.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas seeks unilateral statehood without negotiations (much to the chagrin of President Obama). His demand that Arab refugees be resettled in pre-1967 Israel makes a mockery of a two-state solution. It denies the rights of Jewish refugees from Arab lands.
It is hypocritical to accuse Israel of apartheid, when Arab Israelis vote and have full citizenship, while exculpating Hamas and the Palestinian leadership.
DORON LUBINSKY, ATLANTA
Unpopular message
should get a hearing
Regarding “Controversial author edited out of book event” (Opinion, Nov. 14), Jay Bookman is an important reason why I believe in supporting our local newspaper.
Without his column, it is unlikely that I would have known that writer Peter Beinart was uninvited to speak at the Atlanta Jewish Book Festival because he criticized Israel’s government.
Americans relentlessly criticize our own government — so what is wrong with criticizing Israel’s? Because of Bookman, the writer’s message will be heard by an even larger audience — one that includes me.
Thank you, AJC, for relaying that message to me — and for supporting freedom of speech.
MARGARET CURTIS, ATLANTA
MARTA MANNERS
Discourteous riders
take up, block seats
I read with interest Ms. McClendon’s column on MARTA manners (“MARTA asks riders: Mind your manners,” Opinion, Nov. 13).
I’ve been a MARTA rider for more than 25 years, and there is one leading discourteous practice not mentioned in the column: patrons not sharing a seat with standing riders. They block the adjacent seat with personal articles, or simply sit on the outside and inconvenience (if not block) admission to the inside seat. Ride any car at any peak time, and you will find this practice prevalent.
STEVE PECK, CHAMBLEE
HEALTHY EATING
In causing obesity,
sodas’ role declining
“Soda wars: cities seek restrictions, taxes to curb obesity” (ajc.com, Nov. 12) deserves further clarification.
Obesity is not caused by any single food or beverage. Such attacks on one product or source of calories will not combat the complex issue of obesity.
Sugar-sweetened beverages play a small and declining role in the American diet. Caloric intake from sugar-sweetened beverages declined between 2001 and 2010, yet obesity rates continued to rise during that time. Americans are consuming about 617 more calories today than they did in 1970 — and 93 percent of those incremental calories come from sources other than beverages.
The beverage industry is committed to being part of meaningful solutions to this challenge. Our national school beverage guidelines have resulted in a 90 percent voluntary reduction in beverage calories shipped to schools nationwide since 2004. Through our Clear on Calories initiative, we’ve placed clear calorie labels on every can, bottle and pack we produce.
KEVIN PERRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GEORGIA BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION
